Paying for a bus ticket via QR code has become a reality in Mangaluru, with a private operator introducing the same for the first time in the city. Passengers travelling on Route No. 27 between Mangaladevi Temple and State Bank of India bus terminus can now pay for the ticket via UPI.
Dilraj Alva, who operates five buses on Route No. 27, told The Hindu that the facility was introduced as an experiment on all five buses a fortnight ago.
The passengers can scan the QR code on the hand-held device with the conductor and pay through any UPI. Once the payment is completed, the same device generates the ticket. “My fleet of five buses collected ₹6,000 thus in a day recently,” he said.
Passengers can also purchase the ticket through cash and through smart card (Chalo card). Thus three types of payment modes are available, Mr. Alva, who was a former president of the Dakshina Kannada Bus Operators’ Association (which operates city buses), said.
Mr. Alva said that with the cashless transaction facility, conductors do not have t worry about returning change to passengers. The QR code ticket issuing system will get stabilised slowly, he said.
As the next step, Mr. Alva said he is contemplating whether the hand-held device can be fixed at a point inside the bus, and passengers can pay and collect the ticket themselves.
Aziz Parthippady, president, Dakshina Kannada Bus Operators’ Association, said that the new facility will be introduced in some buses plying on Route Nos. 51, 42, and 45.
He said that there are 343 city buses and a minimum of 1.5 lakh people use them daily.
“As far as my understanding goes, issuing tickets via QR code has been introduced in Route No. 27 for the first time in the private bus sector in Karnataka,” Mr. Parthippady added.
Published - July 30, 2024 08:43 pm IST
